Single-dose containers are common in everyday life, such as in the food and beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other industries.
Examples of single-dose containers include sachets, tetra-packs, pouches, PET/plastic cups or glass vial bottles, which have their limitations. Sachets do not have dispensing orifices, making them difficult to use. In addition, sachets often need to be torn open, which can cause an additional challenge when dispensing a product. Tetra-packs are used in the beverage industry and can hold liquids, but require a straw to consume. They are not appropriate for other types of products, such as creams, pastes, ointments and other viscous products that need to be easily dispensed from the container. Pouches are similar to sachets in that they must be torn open and lack clean and convenient dispensing orifices, which can lead to a mess. PET/plastic cups often require an additional tool or apparatus to obtain the product contained in the plastic cup. Glass vial bottles are breakable and heavier in weight, and cannot be used effectively for viscous or pasty products as such products cannot be dispensed easily by gravity or squeezing.
The majority of known single-dose containers have a cap closure or lid placed over an open end of the container or some type of seal to cover the open end. Many of these known containers have upwardly extending threaded necks to receive a cap, and may also have a sealing edge at the end of the neck to hold a seal to cover the open end. Those containers with a seal often require an apparatus to puncture the seal, such as a pointed end on the inside of the cap. Tear off seals have also been used, but such seals can be difficult to use.